Okay, so I thought since we've got people from all over the world here, it might be interesting for people to express stereotypes they want cleared up about other countries and others to dispell stereotypes about the countries they live in. So, here are the rules.

1. Follow Forum Rules (obviously)2. If you want to ask about a stereotype, be sure to clearly state the country and the stereotype you want answered.3. Depending on what country you are asking about, don't expect an immediate answer (I'm not sure what range of diversity we have here).4. No steretype is stupid so never treat them as such.5. Don't answer a stereotype request unless you live in the country or have been there for a period of time.5. If you are dispelling a stereotype, please be concise and descriptive, a small explanation is always appreciated.6. Discussion about travel or the weather in different countries is fine but nothing too off-topic.

Okay, so I'll start with Australia!

Wild animals like koalas and kangaroos don't roam the streets, in fact koalas are quite shy and people rarely see them outside of bushy areas and wildlife parks. There are signs in places where koalas live asking people to slow down in case they're crossing the street but in my nearly 20 years of life, I haven't seen one do so. They don't drop out of trees and attack people however it is advised not to try and pick them up because they can get aggressive if provoked. Kangaroos don't even live anywhere near built-up areas, they more so live in the desert and outback. If you live in the bush you will likely see wallabies hanging around every so often (they're like small kangaroos and less territorial) but that's as close as you get to the stereotype.

Also, I'd like to know, in Canada, obviously it depends on the town, but do most people speak French regularly or know how to speak French? (I'm thinking of going to Canada sometime and I want to know if I need to know a lot of French, a little bit or none really at all)

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Do you think this is distinct enough from our other thread about countries?

Correct me if I'm wrong (considering I'm not Canadian and just piecing this together from second and third hand accounts), but I believe French is the de-facto language in Quebec. Even in Quebec though, most people will probably know English.

CaptainPea Wrote:

RandomGeekNamedBrent Wrote:

Jesse James Wrote:

Thankfully they covered random Kangaroo collisions.

well isn't that kind of important in Australia? don't those happen every day?

Last weekend there was a real bad kangaroo stormI heard in Perth they measured almost 6 feet of accumulated kangaroos

Next week's not looking much better, with scattered shrimp all throughout the week and a 70% chance of stubble.

_________________

Sun May 06, 2012 10:43 pm

0404

Re: Common National Stereotypes

I only lived in Canada for three years. You should ask canadianhero. I learned that Quebec speaks french as their daily language. And my teacher said Quebec is a bump in the road. Actually French school is all over the province, so chances are, you can pretty much french anywhere in Canada.- no one actually says Eh!, Unless they are purposefully making joke about them self.-There is a beaver around where I live, but not sure about other towns.-It's stereotipically snowy and cold,

Anyone up for Texas? I forgot to capitalized shame on me I don't really think it overlaps with other thread, Idk..

Last edited by 0404 on Sun May 06, 2012 11:10 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Sun May 06, 2012 10:53 pm

Nyaliva

Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:18 amPosts: 437Location: Australia

Re: Common National Stereotypes

Wow, how did I miss that topic?!

I looked for similar topics before I made this one but I missed that one. You can take this one down if you want. I think it's good but I'd hate for people to have to post twice about anything.

CaptainPea Wrote:

RandomGeekNamedBrent Wrote:

Jesse James Wrote:

Thankfully they covered random Kangaroo collisions.

well isn't that kind of important in Australia? don't those happen every day?

Last weekend there was a real bad kangaroo stormI heard in Perth they measured almost 6 feet of accumulated kangaroos

Next week's not looking much better, with scattered shrimp all throughout the week and a 70% chance of stubble.

This seriously made me lol. I couldn't imagine 6 feet of accumulated kangaroos! Although a shrimp storm would be cool, we just set up the barbecue and push it around in the "rain".

_________________I'm a shape-shifter. I'm currently in whatever form I feel likeParadigm Shift by meI do not actually believe any of what I'm saying.RP character sheets

Mon May 07, 2012 12:11 am

Kitela

Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 1:18 amPosts: 978Location: OH

Re: Common National Stereotypes

Sleet Wrote:

Well, that one's true to an extent; "outside the US" is a far larger radius than, say, "outside France." We're so concerned with domestic matters because there are a lot of them.

I'm talking about anything international. Some think that Americans are only concerned about what goes on in the U.S. However a lot of that comes how the U.S. borders only two countries and in the E.U. what goes on in Germany will be a concern to those who live in France.

Mon May 07, 2012 12:17 am

Nyaliva

Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:18 amPosts: 437Location: Australia

Re: Common National Stereotypes

Kitela Wrote:

Sleet Wrote:

Well, that one's true to an extent; "outside the US" is a far larger radius than, say, "outside France." We're so concerned with domestic matters because there are a lot of them.

I'm talking about anything international. Some think that Americans are only concerned about what goes on in the U.S. However a lot of that comes how the U.S. borders only two countries and in the E.U. what goes on in Germany will be a concern to those who live in France.

I think it also comes from people thinking Americans are so "patriotic" that they often don't care about other countries and their too unintelligent to bother learning about them. I mean I live in Australia and we're out in the middle of the ocean but people still assume we have a lot more knowledge about other countries than Americans do.

Tha Housefox Wrote:

I've lived in Texas all of my memorable life. Ask away.

How much of Texas is actually desert? And how much is taken up by oil wells?

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so, speaking as an Englishman, I have nice teeth. I've never seen a manacle in my life. Even though I enjoy tea, the majority of my friends prefer coffee. Our food does taste nice. We do absolutely love (Europeon) football and I've looked into it as if it were a Religion whilst doing Religion in college. We don't say words like Cheerio and spiffing.

I wish the rest of the world knew different things about us, like how we have meat pies (really, really nice) and how English music is often some of the best ever (Beetles, Queen, etc).

Well, New Jersey stereotypes don't hardly qualify as "national", but as we've already brought up Texas I figure it's fair game anyway.

No, we're not all sex-crazed, party-happy oompa loompas who go club-hopping on a regular basis. I've never been to a club (and have little desire to go to one) and I burn too easily to possibly get a decent tan.

We also don't all have Brooklyn accents, nor do we get into fights any more often than other people. There is a lot more road raging here than in any other place I've been (except maybe NYC, but that's just a city thing, I think).

There also aren't many for Virginians that don't apply to the south in general, but I can say that Northern VA is not like stereotypical south at all. It's more like South D.C.

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Mon May 07, 2012 2:56 pm

Kitela

Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 1:18 amPosts: 978Location: OH

Re: Common National Stereotypes

As for state stereotypes. Every stereotype for the US south can be found in South Carolina from the some of the natives here.

I'm from Ohio and I don't think they have any stereotypes except hating Michiganders at every sport know to man and saying "pop" instead of "soda" or "coke".

Mon May 07, 2012 3:35 pm

Radio Blue Heart

Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:27 pmPosts: 2642Location: North Carolina

Re: Common National Stereotypes

I have lived in North Carolina my whole life. I have to deal with stereotyping on a daily basis.

Over the years I have learned to speak with the mid-Western accent, which is considered the "neutral" American accent. Because when people from the North come here and if they hear my Appalachian accent the slow down their speech while talking to me as if I were mentally handicapped.

If you ever want to make someone sound like a rube, like they are ignorant or an evil, bigoted degenerated, either in media or doing an impression, you give them a Southern accent. The whole country does seem to blame every act of racism on us.

I quickly learned that I should not think the worst of other peoples and cultures based on misconceptions because I don't want them to think ill of me. But, I do deal with culture clashes living in a college town where the world comes to me, and its not from foreigners. People from the North think I am either quaint or weird because I open doors for ladies. Its just what we do here. I am just trying to be polite. I did get cussed out by a girl for opening a door for her. I let it go because she looked like she was upset about something, her eyes teary and red. I did not realize that things like opening doors and giving up your seat was such an alien concept out of the South.

_________________"I have known hardship and learned to aid the wretched."-Virgil

You know, when you work with the old English system of measurement (Or the arbitrary ******** rollercoaster) day after day building things out of wood, you become strangely attached to it.

Or that's just me.

_________________Jeff "Clavy" Civit

Mon May 07, 2012 6:11 pm

Dissension

Guest Support

Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:42 pmPosts: 8535Images: 0

Re: Common National Stereotypes

Use of the term 'retarded' as a reference to something one does not like is extremely offensive. Let's not do that, 'kay?

The chart was horribly inaccurate, anyway - day, month, and year are measured similarly in both Imperial and SI.

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Mon May 07, 2012 6:19 pm

DanTwelve3

Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 8:45 pmPosts: 174Location: Twin Cities

Re: Common National Stereotypes

I have lived my whole life in Wisconsin (until this last year), so ask away about the Dairy State! To answer many of your questions though, if it is about beer or cheese, the answer is probably yes. Lots of it, and it is good.

Illinois drivers aren't nearly as bad as Wisconsinites say they are, and drivers from the UP are the friendliest I've had the pleasure of sharing the road with.

If there is a car accident in North Carolina, 9 times out of 10 it involves an SUV with Florida plates.

_________________"I have known hardship and learned to aid the wretched."-Virgil

Mon May 07, 2012 9:47 pm

Nyaliva

Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:18 amPosts: 437Location: Australia

Re: Common National Stereotypes

Dissension Wrote:

Chemical burns.

I'd address stereotypes about Arkansas, Arkansawyers, and Arkansans, but there clearly are none.

So you'll be answering questions about Kansas as well? Seriously, why is there Arkansas, Kansas and Arkansaw? Did people just get sick of naming states or did people deliberately want to be mistaken for residents of other states?

DanTwelve3 Wrote:

I have lived my whole life in Wisconsin (until this last year), so ask away about the Dairy State!

Is Wisconsin really the Dairy State? And to what degree (like how much is farmland or whatever)?

_________________Feel like you need a friend? I'm happy to talk anytime!

This wiki link gives a bit of a summary for how much dairy the state produces... a ton of the land there is farmland, especially the southwest to south-central parts. Cows are everywhere.Still plenty of cities though, not everyone is a country hic!

for the record, Arkansas is pronounced Arkansaw. they aren't two separate states.

_________________I'm a shape-shifter. I'm currently in whatever form I feel likeParadigm Shift by meI do not actually believe any of what I'm saying.RP character sheets

Mon May 07, 2012 10:47 pm

Dissension

Guest Support

Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:42 pmPosts: 8535Images: 0

Re: Common National Stereotypes

Indeed. Thus says the state constitution. It's also illegal to pronounce the state name in the same manner that one would pronounce "Kansas." For the record, residents of Arkansas can be referred to as Arkansawyers, Arkansans, or Arkansians. Among us, the term "Arkansawyer" is generally reserved for someone who was born here, while "Arkansan" refers to immigrants from other states and nations.

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What I've learned from a friend from Wisconsin is that our east-coast vocabulary for describing candy pales in comparison. In DC, jimmies and sprinkles are all sprinkles and suckers and lollipops are both lollipops.

Tiggy Wrote:

is this true?? :OO

YesI can never tell Pennsylvania and Texas apart

Nyaliva Wrote:

So you'll be answering questions about Kansas as well? Seriously, why is there Arkansas, Kansas and Arkansaw? Did people just get sick of naming states or did people deliberately want to be mistaken for residents of other states?

I'm not sure if the names are related. I would research that if it weren't midnight and if I wasn't a lazy sack of marbles.

We do have several things named after various Georges, though. Also Washington state and Washington DC, both named after the same George.

Sleet Wrote:

Have you seen anyone get arrested for that?

There's an entire state prison for Arr-kansans.

_________________

Mon May 07, 2012 10:59 pm

Wanderer

Re: Common National Stereotypes

Some common misconceptions about South Africa:Yes, South Africa is a country. No, we don't live in the jungle with mud huts and sticks like savages. The country has its share of filthy rich people and mendicants. Yes, there are a lot of white people in South Africa, but there are certainly much more black people. There are also many different skin tones and ethnicities within South Africa, so everyone there is not simply black. That's kind of rude, actually. During my stay at South Africa, I was never robbed either, but that could also be due to the fact that I wasn't in a rich neighborhood. As long as you don't flash and wave your jewelry at someone, no one is going to steal. Most people weren't inclined to steal in my neighborhood and waste their time anyway. I think the 2010 world cup kind of helped clear the negative stereotype of all Africans living in the jungle with mud houses but every once in a while someone would bring this up. I guess this doesn't really apply to only South Africa but some others as well.

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